The Sun. — London, England, 1809-09-07 00:00:00

POLICE. .listoNsilata..—We - yesterday mentioned the cir `cutlisiance of a young Gentleman attempting to Shoot himself and a young Lady, who was with him, in a hackney-coach, - in Belvidere-place. - The t-:zrillettati is a son of Mr. Eliston, of Belvidere .Vlac:, and the young Lady a Miss Colson, a respat 'able young woman, whose friends reside in the Bo rough. Several persons who had some knowledge of the transaetion were examined yesterday before the Magistrates at Union-hall. HlliStotl, driver of, the hackney-coach, No. 278, stated that he was called off the stand in the Minories, on Monday night, about 11 o'clock, by a gehtleman and two ladies; he was desired to drive to Crooked-lane, where the ladies got out ; one of them however returned, and again got into the coach with the gentleman, who desired him to drive to Belvidere-place, St. George's-Fields ; when he art ived within two or three doors of the house where he was ordered to set them down, _he was alarmed by the report of a pistol in the coach, and imme diately after of a second, and heard the gentleman exclaim, " Oh, can you forgive me in your dying moments ?" the lady answered " Yes, yes, yes ;" he stopped his horses, and getting off his box, ran to look for a watchman ; on his return he found his coach empty, and a person informed him that the lady and gentleman were in the house, and that no harm was done; in searching among the straw of his coach afterwards, he found a pair of pistol bags. Mr. John Taylor lives at No. 42, Belvidere-place; was sitting with his family, a little belofe 12 o'clock, on Monday evening, when he was alarmed by the r.zport of two pistols; he ran out to see what was the matter, when he perceived a coach standing near the dour, without any person on the box ; he went up to the coach and opened the door, when, by the light of a candle, he perceived Mr. Eiliston and Miss Colson, the latter apparently fainting ; he shot too the door again, and going to the horses, drew th e coach close up to Mr. Eiistoo's door; the 'unify were by this u u rc alarmed, and he assisted in getting them out of the coach; Mr. Eliston was begging to be forgiven, saving he had no intention to hurt her; she answered—Yes, yes; she forgave him. Mr; Taylor went for tLe surgeon, and on his return, on searching the coach, he found a pistol-bullet in the back part of the seat, he saw no appearance of blood; but ,aw the mark of the powder on the woman's dresS. .M WAGSTAFV, a Sargeon, said 'he was called on 'Monday night about • twelve o'clock, to go to Mr: Elliston's house to examine two persons • who were supposed to be seriously hurt ; he went and found Miss Cod-on sitting . oti the bed partly unc.ress ed ; on exaniining het Verson, he found she ha,i re ceived a contused wound on the right side, which was very much inflamed and , swelled ; her cloatlis %vete perforated in several places,' and from their ap pearance, and from the appearance of the wound, he had no doubt it • *as inflicted with some sort of fire-artns. After' having dressed her wound, he 4'23 desired to attend Mr. Elliston ; he found him lying on the bed; he had a wound inflicted by a bail in his right . side ; the ball had struck- upon his ribs, lust below the breast; and gone oil slanting, with . otit having penetrated the abdomen. The wound was very much inflamed and swelled, but the wit ness did not apprehend any'itnniediate danger; from some expressions which fell from Mr. Elliston, however, the witness was fearful he had taken some thing of a poisonous,nature , and after being repeat edly pre.sed on the subject, he acknowledged that, finding the ball had not taken effect, lie had con trived, unobserved, to swallow a quantity of Mr. Wagstaff had questioned Miss Cnlsort reiped ing the firing of the pistol ; she said that Mr. Elision had desired her to look out at the window to 'see if the coachman was not gone past the house; whilst her head was out of the window, she heard the report of the pistol, bit did not at first know she was wound 1 ; nor was she much alarmed, till she heard . the second report, and saw the flash in the coach, when she screamed out. The Witness did not consider either of the parties to be in immediate daiiger. The pistols were delivered to Mr. Wagstaff ou Tuesday morn ins, by a younger brother of Mr._Eliston. Bow STR E ET.—Y esterday Rithard Hemming was examined before J. I\I,IES, .Esq. the sitting Magis trate, in a charge of bigamy. The prisoner, from his age and personal appearance, does not seem at all calculated to engage female affettion ; notwithstand ing which, it seems he has contrived to ensnare three women at once into the chains of matrimony. Two of them came forward, yesterday, and it appeared there is a prior marriage to either of these, of which the wife is alive. The Prosecutrix, in the present case, is a very decent, good-looking young woman, who stated that she was married to the prisoner, by banns, at the parish-church of Cheltenham, Glouces tershire, on the Ist of August, 1808. The other marriage as proved to have taken place at St. An drew, Holborn, in the year 1794. The wife in this case comp:ained of the Prisoner's plundering her of every thing, and leaving her much distressed with several children.—The prisoner was fully committed for trial. A young man, employed as a Letter Carrier at the Two-penny Post Office, Paddington, was charged with secreting a letter, containing t‘‘ o Bank notes of live pounds each. The most distressing circum stance in this case, was a sister of the prisoner's b. e irig obliged to be a witness against him, he having cmploykd her to nego'iate one of the notes taken out of the letter. He was committed tor further ex amination, and bail taken for the appearance .of the sister to give evidence. GUlLDHALL.—Yesterday Walter Smith was charged by Eleanor 'Whyte with defraudiq her of 2s. Bd. The Prosecutrix stated that she kept the Barley Mow Eating-house, in Salisbury - square, Fleet-street. The Prisoner dined there yesterday, and his dinner, &c. amounted to 2s. Bd. ; but he endeavoured to escape without paying. On being deteCied, he said he prOposed paying this reckoning as he had done others—by making his escape. Leadbeater, one of the Marshal's men, stated, that within these few days the prisoner had been brought before Lord Mayor, charged by Mr. Ross, of the Aberciemby Cotiee-house, Lombard street, with eating a plafe tiVe pints of beer, and then endeavouring to escape-with out paying. It appeared that the Prisoner :was a persop given to such practices, and that he was a pauper boarded by his parish in the country, who occasionally took this method of living agreeably to his own pleasure. - . • The Sitting Alderman ordered the prisoner to be committed; till sent tor by the Officers of the parish to which he belonged. SHEIV OF CATTLE AT HAMILTON. The Noblemen and Gentlemen 'of " The Middle' Ward of Lanarkshire Farmers' Club" having, for the encouragement of iwprovwg the breed of - cattle, advertised premiums to be „given for the most‘ap proved draught-stallions, bulls,, milltcows, three year old bullocks, and two-year old queys.the Shew took place in one of the DukeFof 1-LIIIIiitOI6 parks, at ; , he West entry to the to r id, oil Friday the 25th day of August ; and, the dV, pitiving ,favourable, a great cotiCourse of ,Noblemen, Gentlerrien, Far- 1 mers, and others, attended ; - and• Were much grati fied by the exhibition of a great number of stallions and the Other cattle produced hr competition for the premiums. Two persons' of eXilerience, not con ne&ed with the Middle Ward,were taken from the spectators, and appointed judges by the Club ; and, from their report, after a very minute inspedion, the prizes were adjudged as follows : For the best draught stallion, to Peter Smellie, Camnethan . Kirk--the next, best draught stallion, to John Sominervilt, far mer in Johnston :—Fer the best boll, to Lord Bell haven—the next best bull, to Lotd DouglaS't•- • -FOr the best milk-cow, to David Marshall, of Esq.—the next best milk-cow, to Mr. Marshall For the best three-year old bullock,. to Mr. Marshall : —For the best.:,:,..wo-ye'ar old quey, to Mr. Pend r, of Silvertohlrill—aod the next best fwo-y6r old quey, to Mr. Jackson, of Spittlehill. • SUSSEX ,IGIUCULTUR4L AgPORT, The late fine weather has,enabled the industrious fartners particularly those on the Downs, to house and rick their- wheat crops, an 4. phould this week prove favourable, very little will be left abrpad in this county, The crop, with respect to the straw, is certainly, speaking.of the county in general, be low an average; bu: it is expetted to rise .well from the flail. Barley and Oats have also been carried in pretty large quantities during the last week; the crops are.in general good, particularly,of Parley.- 7 - Peas are better than for two past years; and Beans are generally well stocked throughout the country. The late wet weather has been favourable to the lat ter Turnips, and the aftermaths, both of Grass and Clover, are abundant.. On ...friday, the 25th ult. a very melancholy accir dent happened at Loudoun Castle. As the work men were .emplOyed in throwing the arch of the new bridge building there, the supports gave way, when five men were precipitated to the glen below, among the ruins. Matthew. M'Culloch, mason, a fine young. wan, survived but a few hours ; two others were severely hurt, and still continue very ill,.having their joints dislocated in several parts, -the other two were but slightly hurt. What makes 111`Culiocah 7 a fate the more lamentable is, that he was a principal support of his parents, and this the third accidental death they have met with in their Eimily. Mr. Wm. Elliot, the superintending archi tea, had, at the same time, a narrow escape. One of the workmen having hinted his suspicion that the props were failing, he went below to examine them ;, he thought they were all secure, but had not got to the. top of. the bank, a distance bf about fiftee❑ yards, when the whole fell down with a tre mendous crash. A female of genteel appearance, has been too suc cessful in obtaining-access to the parlours and draw ing-rooms of several respectable families in different parts of the town. The plan she has adopted is to knock at the door with some considerable conse quence, and inquire if the master or mistress is at home (with whose name and residence she appears very familiar.) On being answered in the negative, she affects to be extremely disappointed, and requests as she has had a long and very fatiguing walk, that the servant would permit her to sit down, and favour her with a glass of • table-beer. While the servant is gone to the cellar, she is looking for the spoil. In timate friendship with, or relition to the family, is always professed, and as she is so much fatigued, and so extremely disappointed by her friend being out, she solicits the servants to indulge her with a cup of tea. If, during all this time, opportunity has not served to clear the drawers of the side-board, or visit the lady's bed-room, which she much wishes to do alone, it has answered her purpose to state that the mistress (her relation) had promised to lend her some table spoons, &c. as she was going to have company ; and the poor unsuspv ding servant fearing to disoblige her mistress's supposed relation, has ab solutely been prevailed upon to part with her mas ter's plate. This trick has been played off in several families within these few weeks, and the visit has generally been made on the Sunday afternoon, when there is a greater probability of success. The singular_ merits of " Nubilia in search of a Husband," have raised it to rapid popularity.: _a learned and celebrated writer, in noticing this work, says— " The author of Nubilia has sometimes surpassed Cre/ebs in animation, variety, and elegance.—Did our limits permit,. we could selett a number of ex cellent praelical remarks on education from this vo lume, which would be eminently useful in the in struCtion of youth : they deserve the attention of parents, guardiMis, and students of human nature. Throughout this work there is a vigorous tone of morality, a dignity, an elevation of good taste, and acute discrimination on just principles of morality. If Ccelets has passed through nine editions,. we should have a bad opinion of public taste if Pubilia does not pass through eight.- ‘, We have heard th►s volume attributed to the ingenious and reverend writer who lately displayed the Fashionable World;' but whoever may be its author, it is unquestionably the production of an enlightened, observing, and virtuous mind, and bears internal evidence of talents and learning." LONDON : Printed by RICHARD lIA KRIS. of No. 4, s.l artlett-court. Bova s street ; and Pcblished by WI LLI AM AItMI G ERR SC RI PI'S, Sout.b Mc ton street, G uFvenc rqttate. At the SUN-01 , 1 Ica, No. ;12, Strand;- where Adverlisem cots, Orders for the Paper Letters for the Editor, &c. (post-paia)', 111115( bi addressed. AlEl?)lfyilt The existence 'of Mermaids, or Sea-tiromen, lii- - therto generally supposed to be fabulous, seems now to be pretty well.established, by the evidence of the' folloWing copies of original letters, which were trans mitted to a gentleman in this country, by Sir John Sinclair, - the principal person in the neighbourhood where the extraordinary Creatures therein mentioned were seen; • Copy of Letters regarding the MermaidS, which have been seen on the coast of Caithness, North Britain: No. I.—LETTER FROM MISS 'MACKAY, DAUGHTER OF THE REV. DAVID MACKAY, MINISTER OF REAY, TO MISS INNES DOWAGER, OF SANDSID.E. • Keay, Manse, May as, 1809. MADAM,—To establish the truth of what has hi therto been considered improbable and fabulous, must be at all times a difficult task,* and I have not the vanity to think that my testimony alone would . be sufficient for this purpose ; but when to this is added that of four otheis, I hope it will have some effect 'in removing the doubts of those-who may sup pose that the wonderful appearance I reported hay ing•seen in the sea on the l'ath of January, was not a mermaid, brit some other• uncommon, though less remarkableinhabitant of the deep. As I would wil lingly contribute, to remove the . doubt of the scepti cal on this subject, I beg leave to state to you the following accounts, after premising that my cousin, whose name is prefixed along with .mine, was one of the four witnesses MK? beheld with me this uncom mon spectacle. While she and I were walking by the sea-shore, on the 1 .c!th of January, about noon, our attention was attracted by seeing three people- who were on a rock at some distance, shewing signs of terror and astonishment at something they saw in the water; on approaching them - , we distinguished that the ob jeapf -their wonder was a face resembling the hu man countenance, which appeared ficating on the waves; at that time nothing but, the face was-visi ble ; it may not be improper to observe,- before I pro ceed further, that the face, threat, and arms, are all I can attempt to describe, all our endeavours to dis cover the appearance and position of the body being unavailing: The sea at-that time ran very high - , and ' as the waves advanced, the Mermaid gently: sunk under them and afterwards re-appeared. The seemed pluMp and round, the eyes - and nose-were small, the former were of a light grey ccilOur, and. the mouth -was large, and,-froth the shape-of the jawbone; which' seemed straight, the lace looked , short; as to the inside of the mouth I can , say no thing; not having attended to it, though sometimes open.---Thetbrehead, nose, and chin ; were white,: the whole side lace of a bright pink colour. The . head was exceedinglyround, the hair thick and long, of a green oily-cast . , and appeared troublesoine to it, the waves generally throwing 'it down over the face; it seemed to see the annoyance, and, as the waves retreated with both its hands frequently threw back the hair and- rubbed its throat, as if to remove-any soiling it might have received from it. , The throat was slender, smooth, and white; we did not think of observing whether it had elbows; but from the manner in which it used its arms, I must conchide that it bad. The arms were very tong and slender, as were the'hands and fingers, the latter were not • webbed. The arms, one of them at least, was-fre quently extended over its head, as if to frighten a bird that hovered over it, and: seemed to distress it much ; when that had no effect, it some times turned quite round several times successively. At a little distance we observed a seal. It, sometimes laid its right hand under its cheek, and in this position floated-for some time. We saw nothing like hair or scales on-any part of it ; indeed the sinootliness:of the- skin particularly caught ; our, attention. The time it was discernible to us was about an hour. The son was shining clearly at the time 5 .- it was dis tant from us a few yards only. These are the few observations made by us during the appearance of t his .st range phenomenon. If they afford you any satisfaaion, I shall be par ticularly happy, I have stated nothing but what I clearly recollect ; as my cousin and I had frequently, previous to.this period, combated an assertion which is very common among the lower class here, that Mermaids had been frequently seen on this coast, our evidence cannot be thought biassed by anY former prejudice in favour of the existence of this wonder ful creature. To contribute, in any degree, to your pleasure or amusement, will add to the happiness of, - Madam, your greatly obliged, (Signed) ELIZ. MACKAY. C. MACKENZEE. NO. H.-LETTER FROM.' MR. WILLIAM MUNRO, SCHOOLMASTER OF THURSO, TO DR. TORRENCE, REGARDING A MERMAID SEEN BY HIM SO -1E Y EARS AGO. DEAR SIR, Thurso, June 9, IS~g. Your queries respthing the Mermaid are belore . me.- From the general scepticism which prevails among the learned and intelligent about the exist ence of such a phenomenon, had not your charac ter and real desire for investigation been too well known to me, for supposing that you wished to have a fertile imagination indulged by a subject of merriment, I would have been disposed to have concluded, that in this instance you aimed at being ranked among the laughing philosophers, at my ' expence. Sensible, however, that this is not the case, and taking it for 'granted that you are sincere, I shall endeavour to answer your queries, though there is little probability that any testimony which I can give respecting the Mermaid, will operate to wards convincing those who have not hitherto been convinced by the repeated tethnonies adduced in sup port of the existence of such an appearance. About twelve years ago, when I. was parochial schoolmaster at Reay, in the course of my walking on the shore of Sandside. Bay, being d fine warm I day in summer, I was induced to exteild my walk towards Sandside Head, when ,my attention.was ar rested by the appearance -of a figure, resembling an .unclothed human female, sitting upon a rock ex tending into the sea, and apparently in the a,'liou of combing its hair, which flowed around its oul ders, and of a light brown colour. The resemblance . . hid, the figure bare to its prototype, in all its visible - parts, w'as- 4) Striking,- that had riot the rock' on which it Was sitting been dangerous for bathi n g, I would have been,constrained to have regarded it as really an human form, and to any eye unaccustomed to theituation, it must have undoubtedly appeared, as such'. The bead was covered with hair of.the colour above mentioned, and shaded on the, crowin, the forehead round, the face plump, the cheeks rud dy, the eyes blue, the mouth and lips of, a natural form, resembling those of a man, the teeth I could not discover, as the mouth was shut; the breasta, and abdomen, the arms and fingers o f the s i ze o f A*. full grown body of the human species ; the fingers'," from the adtion in which the hands were employed;, ' did not appear to be webbed, but as to this I am not positive. It remained on the rock three or 'obi minutes after I observed it, and was exercised dur - - ing that tune in combing its hair, which was long aril thick, and of Which it appeared proud, and then dropped into the sea, which was level with the ab 7 domen,. from 'whence it did not re-appear to me.— had distinct view of its features, being at no great distance; on an eminence' above the rock on which itwas sitting, and the sun brightly shining. —lmmediately before, its. getting into its natu ral element, it seemed to, have observed me, as its eyes were directed towards the eminence on whichi stood. - It may be necessary to remark, that previous to trie period I beheld this object, I had heard it frequently reported by several persons, and some of them persons whose veracity I never heard • disputed, that they had seen such a phenomenon as I have described, though then, like many others, I wai not disposed to credit their testimony on this subject. I cats say of a truth, that it was only by seeing the phenomenon I was perfectly convinced of its existence. If the above narrative can in any degree be sub servient towards establishing the existence of a phe nomenon, hitherto almost incredible to naturalists, or to remove the scepticism of others, who are ready to dispute every thing which they cannot fully eon:- prebend, you are Welcome to it from, Dear Sir, your most obliged, And most huMble servant, _ (Signed) MUNR(3. To Dr. Torrehee. DUEL—A meeting took . place on Tuesday oa I+!verfordWest.eamthon,. betwikt Deal and Barn haat, .betwixt , Captain- C---L and. Adjutant R—, consequepce of son - ie,dispute on board a vessel Irons Walcheren, where both Officers served. The con tention NVAs - respe'aing the comparative services of the Royal °Marine .Artiliery and another corps, dur. ing an action at Walcheren. Alter discharging two . fires, Captain C. was slightly wounded in the arm is the third 'fire, when. both parties7shook hands, and the affair was settled. SHIP NEWS. GRAVESEND, SEPTENIRER S. Arrived—the Sheting Hall, - Adams, from Charlestown. Sailed—the Courier, Hubliq, ,for Gqttenhurgh ; A i nie t Herbert - , fdr Cadiz'; Union, Brelin,' for Stockhoint ; the New Galen, Hinckley, for Boston. BIRTHS, On Saturday last, the-Ladyo e f eto D ry r : M N a o r t c t e s t , , r o vi f rs T . tu ß s o s b e e li t : t square, °fa Daughter. The same day, at Carleton R Goodenough, of a Son. Yesterday, at No. 30, Harley-strect, Mr s . C. Whi te, o f a still-born Daughter. • The Lady of H. F. Harrison, Esq. of Ely-place, of a Daughter. MARRIED. On Saturday;' at Rollesby, in Norfolk. Major Cape. of the Hon. East-India Company's Service, to Mrs. Taylor, of Gloucester-place; Portman-square, widow of Robert TJy lor, Esq. late in the Civil Service of the Company. On Sunday, at St. john's, SouthWark, Thomas Wake. field, Hoyinan, of the City of Cantechury, to Elizabeth Grothall, widow, of the same City. The same day, at St. Anne's Church, Edward Tandy. to Mrs. De Bo*. • On Monday, at St. Mary-le-bonne Church, Francis CA ton, Esq. nephew to the, Right Hon. Lord Carlton, to Misg Charlotte Montgomerie, eldest daughter of the late George Moleneux Montgomerie, Esq. of Garboldisham-Hall, in tho County of Norfolk. On Tuesday last, at Thorney-Abbey, in the Isle of Ely. Steed Girdlestone; Esq. of Lyisbeck, to Sarah,• on,y daugh ter of Edward Stone, Esq. of the same place, DMD. On the 25th ult. at his house in Chelsea, Mr. John Up ward, many years in the Common Council for the Ward of Broad-street. On the 27th ult. at his house, Hawthornden, Scotland, the Right Rev. Bishop WilliamAbem m thy Drummond, of Hawthornden, aged 90. On the 2JI inst. at her father's house at Broadwater, near Stevenage, Herts, Mls. Earl, wile of Mr. Earl, of Temple Dinsley. On Sunday last e at his house in Upper Norton-street, Pe ter Mathias Van Gelder, Esq. in the 71st year of his age. On Monday, at . Caehiebury-llouse, the sea; of the Earl of Essex, George Donney, a black servant belonging to his Lordship, who had lived in the faintly upwards of 4 years.,- The :Arne thy, at Earle's Court, near Reading, of a fit 01 -7 apoplexy, the Lady of the Right Hon. Sir W. Scott. On Tuesday evening, in , Upper Mary-le-lenine-stre et, Fit'poy. square, in the 74th year of her age, Mrs. Henrretta' Peneau, widow, atta; a lingerieg and very painful ill Less. The same day, Miss Ann Thompson, third daughter of Mr. ,‘Vi iliam Thompson; of High Holtmin. On Cie 4th inst. firs. Tippler, of St. Martin's-lane, Can non-street, in her 64th year. On the 51.11 test. at his house at Oakingham, Berks, in his , 78th year, Mr. Benjamin Baldwin, formerly of Earrin e don, , in the same County. Yesterday se'nnight, Mr. Benjamin Brooker, of Newhafr, yen, at the advanced age of 85, having filled an office in Hi: Majesty's Customs, at that place, for so Scats. At Calcutta, in his 19th year, Mr. F. W. Tackle, Mia shipman ot His Majesty's ship Cornwallis. On the 3oth of tune last, at Philadelphia, in her 'ogee. year, Susanna Warden, formerly wife of Virgil Wardon, oier of rite house servants of the ereat William Penn. TW5 . .47,e 4. womaefiwas horn in William Penn's house, at Peonshing, • Manor, rt March i7o 1, and has of late been upported by the. Penn Lately, aged 88, Mrs. Beaton, in St. !Olin's,. Madder . Market, Norwich, a native of Wales, and commonly called. the Freemason, from the circumstance of her concealing her self one evening in the wamseottine of a ludg , ..e- room. where , she learnt that secret, the knowledge of which thousands 0., her sex have in vain stt inpted to arrive at. It is said shc was a very singular old wo.nail, as the secret died with her. PRICE 0 F. Dar. Bank Stock, India Stock, Navy 5 per Cent 99 it, India Bonds, 225. pr. Irish 5 pet Cent. scut Exch. Rills, 95. 16s. pr%• 4 per Cent. strut Ownium, i per Cent. Red. shut - Imperial 3-per Cent. 67 3 per Cl. 4 Cons. 6Si-i Ditto Attn. Bank. L. Ann. shut • Cons. for AccoUnt, 6S -,' STOCA'S TEST